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EspañolTALES (ROLE-PLAYING GAME SERIES)
The series is a franchise of role-playing games published by Namco. The series is among the top five most-popular RPG series in Japan. Several entries have been localized for North America or Europe. ''Tales of Phantasia'' was developed by Wolfteam in 1994 and published in 1995. Most of the Wolfteam staff involved left Telenet Japan after the game was released and then formed tri-Ace, who now make the ''Star Ocean'' and ''Valkyrie Profile'' game series, published by Enix (now Square Enix).
The ''Tales'' games continued to be developed by Telenet Japan and published by Namco until after ''Tales of Destiny 2'', when both companies formed the dedicated joint venture Namco Tales Studio. The only remaining staff from Tales of Phantasia at that point were series director Eiji Kikuchi and music composers Motoi Sakuraba and Shinji Tamura. Namco Tales Studio has developed every subsequent game in the series other than Tales of Legendia, which was developed by Team MelFes, another Namco in-house development team.
:''Main article: Linear Motion Battle System''
The series possesses an unusual battle system for an RPG. It has been likened to that of a fighting game (like ''Street Fighter'') and is called the 'Linear Motion Battle System', or 'LMBS' for short. The new battle system for Tales of Destiny PS2 Remake is the Aerial Linear Motion Battle system (or AR-LMBS), and it includes Chain Capacity. Using Chain Capacity, you can chain up to as many attacks as you want until you run out of CC. More information can be found on the official site.
Usually the player has direct control over one character (often the protagonist) and can move and direct this character in any way he or she chooses. By pressing the attack button along with a directional button in different directions, the character can perform various kinds of attacks, like slashes and thrusts or ground-to-air and air-to-ground type attacks. The character's weapons usually have different attack values for a slash or a thrust. There are three modes of control for each character: 'Auto', 'Semi-Auto' and 'Manual', with the first being controlled by the computer, the second being the classic hybrid mode and the third offering a true manual control over the character more comparable to a fighting game. At any time, the player can bring up a menu which pauses the action and allows him or her to select an item or an ability to use (and the target), to choose a spell to cast (and the target), to change a character's artificial intelligence tactics or to escape from the battle, among other things.
The later games in the series allowed for up to four players to join in a battle (requiring the MultiTap for PlayStation consoles) instead of computer control (with the exception of ''Tales of Legendia'', which was developed by a different team). The Linear Motion Battle system has been progressively enhanced as the series progressed. ''Tales of Phantasia'' started with the 'Semi-Auto' mode, ''Tales of Destiny'' added a true 'Manual' mode and the ability for multiple players to control one character each, ''Tales of Eternia'' sped up battles considerably and added the now very popular Hi-Ougis which were then exploited by ''Tales of Destiny 2''. Additionally, a hit counter is displayed, leading to impressive combo feats which, once recorded, are popular in fan circles. Newer Tales games extend this battle system through different means: ''Tales of Symphonia'' added a 3D battlefield while retaining the linear connection between controlled character and targeted enemy; ''Tales of the Abyss'' builds upon this and offers the optional 'Free Run' similar to ''Star Ocean 3''. ''Tales of Rebirth'', on the other hand, kept the 2D system while offering three lines of movements instead just one. And to further ''Rebirth's'' three-lined system, ''Tales of the Tempest'' combines it with a full 3D battle engine.
The following is a list of the games, their release dates and systems. Games without mention of a North American or European release date are, or were, marketed exclusively in Japan.
The series has some recurring features. These are not found in every game and may function slightly differently in the games they do appear in.
★ Themes of discrimination/racism, loss, or antagonists trying to "save" or "improve" the world in a way that involves doing something bad to its inhabitants. Villains' means for carrying out these plans, though can indeed be considered evil, are perfectly understandable upon learning more about the antagonist. It is this challenging of beliefs that many fans find appealing.
★ Equipment, e.g. Gilgamesh collection, Derris Emblem, powerful swords such as Excalibur or Last Fencer, etc.
★ Staple items, e.g. fruit-themed gels, Rune Bottles, stat-boosting herbs like Sage and Lavender, etc.
★ Sorcerer's Ring (or equivalent), an item that shoots a small beam of energy. Used for dungeon puzzles.
★ Staple spells and techniques, e.g. ''Indignation'' spell, ''Demon Fang'' energy wave, etc.
★ Elemental Spirits, such as Gnome, Undine and Efreet. Also known as Greater Craymels, they can often be summoned in battle.
★ Cooking system. Recipes are usually learned from NPCs such as the ''Wonder Chef''. The first recipe is commonly a ''sandwich''. Also, the worst cooks are usually female spellcasters.
★ Titles system. In some games, a title may bestow a stat-boost or a costume change.
★ A Collector's Book, to keep track of all the items the player has held.
★ A Monster Album, to keep track of all the enemies the player has fought.
★ A Coliseum, where the player can fight increasingly difficult battles over many rounds. There is usually a cameo battle, either against a special NPC from the current game or characters from previous Tales games.
★ A bathing scene in a spa or hot springs.
★ An old man in a room with many cats.
★ Aifread, a legendary pirate.
★ A reference to Pac-man, Namco's mascot. He has appeared as a statue, a belt buckle, in a quiz, and more.
★ A group of 'Three Stooges' NPCs, usually called 'The Black Wings', 'Dark Wings', or similar.
★ A high-level monster named the "Sword Dancer".
★ The GRADE system, which allows players to purchase the ability to enhance the player's party or carry over certain stats to a new save file. The system allows the player to start a new game with advantages.
Several Tales games feature Summon Spirits, which represent the world's elemental magic.
★ Efreet - Efreet appears as a red-skinned demon. His name originates from a type of Djinn, and he is the Summon Spirit of Fire. Efreet is found in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Destiny, Tales of Eternia, and Tales of Symphonia, in addition to having a cameo role in Tales of Legendia.
★ Undine - Undine appears as a maiden with blue clothing. Her name comes from water nymphs of Germanic folklore, and she is the Summon Spirit of Water. Undine is found in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Eternia, Tales of Destiny and Tales of Symphonia.
★ Sylph - The Sylph are named after eponymous fairies from several Western mythologies and serve as the Summon Spirits of Wind. Sylph is summoned as multiple fairies in Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Symphonia (Sephie, Yutis, and Fairess are the three) and as a single fairy in Tales of Eternia. The Sylph are found in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Eternia, and Tales of Symphonia.
★ Gnome - Gnome takes its name from Gnomes of Norse mythology and is a spirit of earth. In Symphonia he appears as a giant shovel-carrying and ribbon-wearing mole-like creature, and in Phantasia, he appears as a group of submerged smaller gnomes. Gnome is found in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Destiny, Tales of Eternia, and Tales of Symphonia, in addition to having a cameo role in Tales of Legendia.
★ Celsius - Celsius takes the appearance of a young girl and is named after the Celsius scale. She is the Summon Spirit of ice and is found in Tales of Eternia and Tales of Symphonia, in addition to having a cameo role in Tales of Legendia.
★ Volt - Volt, the Summon Spirit of lightning, looks like an iridescent orb with eyes. It also seems to be unable to communicate with humans. Volt is found in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Destiny, Tales of Eternia, and Tales of Symphonia, in addition to having a cameo role in Tales of Legendia
★ Shadow - Shadow is a humanoid figure that appears to be made of liquid shadow. His element is Darkness. Shadow is found in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Eternia, and Tales of Symphonia, in addition to having a cameo role in Tales of Legendia.
★ Luna and Aska - Luna is a moon spirit depicted as a woman in a sparkling dress. Her element is Moonlight. Aska is a large two-headed bird in Tales of Symphonia, but is depicted as a shining blue eagle in Tales of Phantasia. His element is Sunlight. Togther they are the spirit of light. They appear in Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Symphonia.
★ Rem - Rem is a spirit of light that appears as a multi-winged angel. Rem appears only in Tales of Eternia, but also has a cameo role in Tales of Legendia. In Tales of Symphonia, Colette's oracle is an angel named Remiel, a possible reference to Rem.
★ Origin - A four-armed warrior who resides at the Heimdall Stone outside of the elven village. He has the power to restore objects to their original form, to view any moment in time, He appears in both Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Symphonia.
★ Maxwell - An old man who floats in a bubble, Maxwell is the king of summon spirits; he attacks with meteor showers. It is probable that he is named after James Clerk Maxwell. He appears in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Eternia, and Tales of Symphonia, but only as a hidden boss in the latter two.
The storylines of most games in the Tales series are not connected to one another. There are a few games with minor connections, but each game can be appreciated by itself without knowledge of the events of other games in the series, with the possible exception of Tales of Destiny 2.
The games in this timeline take place in the same world but many years apart from each other, with the exception of Tales of Symphonia and its sequel.
★ Tales of Symphonia, which takes place at least four thousand years prior to Tales of Phantasia.
★ , which starts 2 years after the events of Tales of Symphonia.
★ Tales of Phantasia, which takes place in three different time periods, the "present" time being the year 4304 of the Aselian calendar.
★ , focusing on Mel and Dio 104 years after Tales of Phantasia's "present" time.
★ , a sequel taking place 411 years after Phantasia's future in the year 4765, with Claus' descendant Fulein K. Lester as the protagonist.
These games were more closely related than any other games in the series until Tales of Symphonia: Knight of Ratatosk was announced as a sequel only two years in the future from Tales of Symphonia.
★ Tales of Destiny tells the story of Stahn Aileron.
★ Tales of Destiny 2, which takes place eighteen years after its predecessor, tells the story of Stahn's son, Kyle.
★ Official Japanese ''Tales'' Series Website
★ Official English ''Tales'' Series Forum Board
The ''Tales'' games continued to be developed by Telenet Japan and published by Namco until after ''Tales of Destiny 2'', when both companies formed the dedicated joint venture Namco Tales Studio. The only remaining staff from Tales of Phantasia at that point were series director Eiji Kikuchi and music composers Motoi Sakuraba and Shinji Tamura. Namco Tales Studio has developed every subsequent game in the series other than Tales of Legendia, which was developed by Team MelFes, another Namco in-house development team.
| Contents |
| Battle System |
| Game list |
| Main games |
| Spinoffs |
| Reoccurrence |
| Summon Spirits |
| Storyline |
| Aselian timeline |
| Destiny timeline |
| External links |
Battle System
This screenshot is from the ''Tales of Destiny'' remake for the PS2. It displays the simultaneous real-time nature of AR-LMBS.
:''Main article: Linear Motion Battle System''
The series possesses an unusual battle system for an RPG. It has been likened to that of a fighting game (like ''Street Fighter'') and is called the 'Linear Motion Battle System', or 'LMBS' for short. The new battle system for Tales of Destiny PS2 Remake is the Aerial Linear Motion Battle system (or AR-LMBS), and it includes Chain Capacity. Using Chain Capacity, you can chain up to as many attacks as you want until you run out of CC. More information can be found on the official site.
Usually the player has direct control over one character (often the protagonist) and can move and direct this character in any way he or she chooses. By pressing the attack button along with a directional button in different directions, the character can perform various kinds of attacks, like slashes and thrusts or ground-to-air and air-to-ground type attacks. The character's weapons usually have different attack values for a slash or a thrust. There are three modes of control for each character: 'Auto', 'Semi-Auto' and 'Manual', with the first being controlled by the computer, the second being the classic hybrid mode and the third offering a true manual control over the character more comparable to a fighting game. At any time, the player can bring up a menu which pauses the action and allows him or her to select an item or an ability to use (and the target), to choose a spell to cast (and the target), to change a character's artificial intelligence tactics or to escape from the battle, among other things.
The later games in the series allowed for up to four players to join in a battle (requiring the MultiTap for PlayStation consoles) instead of computer control (with the exception of ''Tales of Legendia'', which was developed by a different team). The Linear Motion Battle system has been progressively enhanced as the series progressed. ''Tales of Phantasia'' started with the 'Semi-Auto' mode, ''Tales of Destiny'' added a true 'Manual' mode and the ability for multiple players to control one character each, ''Tales of Eternia'' sped up battles considerably and added the now very popular Hi-Ougis which were then exploited by ''Tales of Destiny 2''. Additionally, a hit counter is displayed, leading to impressive combo feats which, once recorded, are popular in fan circles. Newer Tales games extend this battle system through different means: ''Tales of Symphonia'' added a 3D battlefield while retaining the linear connection between controlled character and targeted enemy; ''Tales of the Abyss'' builds upon this and offers the optional 'Free Run' similar to ''Star Ocean 3''. ''Tales of Rebirth'', on the other hand, kept the 2D system while offering three lines of movements instead just one. And to further ''Rebirth's'' three-lined system, ''Tales of the Tempest'' combines it with a full 3D battle engine.
Game list
The following is a list of the games, their release dates and systems. Games without mention of a North American or European release date are, or were, marketed exclusively in Japan.
Main games
| 1995 | ''Tales of Phantasia'' - SNES/SFC (fan-translated into English and other languages [1]) |
| 1997 | ''Tales of Destiny'' - PS1 (1998 in North America) |
| 1998 | ''Tales of Phantasia'' - PS1 |
| 2000 | ''Tales of Eternia'' - PS1 (2001 in North America as ''Tales of Destiny II'') |
| 2002 | ''Tales of Destiny 2'' - PS2 |
| 2003 | ''Tales of Symphonia'' - GCN (2004 in North America and Europe) |
| ''Tales of Phantasia'' - GBA (2006 in North America and Europe) | |
| 2004 | ''Tales of Symphonia'' - PS2 |
| ''Tales of Rebirth'' - PS2 | |
| 2005 | ''Tales of Eternia'' - PSP (2006 in Europe) |
| ''Tales of Legendia'' - PS2 (2006 in North America) | |
| ''Tales of the Abyss'' - PS2 (2006 in North America) | |
| ''Tales of Eternia Online'' - PC | |
| 2006 | ''Tales of Phantasia ~ Full Voice Edition'' - PlayStation Portable |
| ''Tales of the Tempest'' - Nintendo DS | |
| ''Tales of Destiny'' - PS2 | |
| 2007 | ''Tales of Destiny 2'' - Play Station Portable |
| ''Tales of Innocence'' - Nintendo DS | |
| 2008 | ''Tales of Destiny Director's Cut'' - PS2 |
| ''Tales of Rebirth'' - PSP | |
| '' - Wii |
Spinoffs
| 2000 | '' GBC |
| 2001 | '' (TV anime series) |
| 2002 | ''Tales of Fandom Vol.1'' PS1 (Mint and Cless versions) |
| '' GBA | |
| 2003 | '' GBA |
| 2004 | ''Tales of Tactics'' Mobile phone |
| 2005 | ''Tales of Breaker'' Mobile phone |
| '' (OVA) | |
| ''Tales of Commons'' Mobile phone | |
| '' GBA | |
| 2006 | ''Tales of Wahrheit'' Mobile phone |
| '' PSP (2007 in North America) | |
| 2007 | '': The first and second episodes have been released in stores in Japan as of June 8, 2007 and August 10th, 2007 respectively. The release dates of the third and fourth are October 24th, 2007 and December 21st, 2007. |
| ''Tales of Fandom Vol.2'' PS2 |
Reoccurrence
The series has some recurring features. These are not found in every game and may function slightly differently in the games they do appear in.
★ Themes of discrimination/racism, loss, or antagonists trying to "save" or "improve" the world in a way that involves doing something bad to its inhabitants. Villains' means for carrying out these plans, though can indeed be considered evil, are perfectly understandable upon learning more about the antagonist. It is this challenging of beliefs that many fans find appealing.
★ Equipment, e.g. Gilgamesh collection, Derris Emblem, powerful swords such as Excalibur or Last Fencer, etc.
★ Staple items, e.g. fruit-themed gels, Rune Bottles, stat-boosting herbs like Sage and Lavender, etc.
★ Sorcerer's Ring (or equivalent), an item that shoots a small beam of energy. Used for dungeon puzzles.
★ Staple spells and techniques, e.g. ''Indignation'' spell, ''Demon Fang'' energy wave, etc.
★ Elemental Spirits, such as Gnome, Undine and Efreet. Also known as Greater Craymels, they can often be summoned in battle.
★ Cooking system. Recipes are usually learned from NPCs such as the ''Wonder Chef''. The first recipe is commonly a ''sandwich''. Also, the worst cooks are usually female spellcasters.
★ Titles system. In some games, a title may bestow a stat-boost or a costume change.
★ A Collector's Book, to keep track of all the items the player has held.
★ A Monster Album, to keep track of all the enemies the player has fought.
★ A Coliseum, where the player can fight increasingly difficult battles over many rounds. There is usually a cameo battle, either against a special NPC from the current game or characters from previous Tales games.
★ A bathing scene in a spa or hot springs.
★ An old man in a room with many cats.
★ Aifread, a legendary pirate.
★ A reference to Pac-man, Namco's mascot. He has appeared as a statue, a belt buckle, in a quiz, and more.
★ A group of 'Three Stooges' NPCs, usually called 'The Black Wings', 'Dark Wings', or similar.
★ A high-level monster named the "Sword Dancer".
★ The GRADE system, which allows players to purchase the ability to enhance the player's party or carry over certain stats to a new save file. The system allows the player to start a new game with advantages.
Summon Spirits
Several Tales games feature Summon Spirits, which represent the world's elemental magic.
★ Efreet - Efreet appears as a red-skinned demon. His name originates from a type of Djinn, and he is the Summon Spirit of Fire. Efreet is found in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Destiny, Tales of Eternia, and Tales of Symphonia, in addition to having a cameo role in Tales of Legendia.
★ Undine - Undine appears as a maiden with blue clothing. Her name comes from water nymphs of Germanic folklore, and she is the Summon Spirit of Water. Undine is found in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Eternia, Tales of Destiny and Tales of Symphonia.
★ Sylph - The Sylph are named after eponymous fairies from several Western mythologies and serve as the Summon Spirits of Wind. Sylph is summoned as multiple fairies in Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Symphonia (Sephie, Yutis, and Fairess are the three) and as a single fairy in Tales of Eternia. The Sylph are found in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Eternia, and Tales of Symphonia.
★ Gnome - Gnome takes its name from Gnomes of Norse mythology and is a spirit of earth. In Symphonia he appears as a giant shovel-carrying and ribbon-wearing mole-like creature, and in Phantasia, he appears as a group of submerged smaller gnomes. Gnome is found in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Destiny, Tales of Eternia, and Tales of Symphonia, in addition to having a cameo role in Tales of Legendia.
★ Celsius - Celsius takes the appearance of a young girl and is named after the Celsius scale. She is the Summon Spirit of ice and is found in Tales of Eternia and Tales of Symphonia, in addition to having a cameo role in Tales of Legendia.
★ Volt - Volt, the Summon Spirit of lightning, looks like an iridescent orb with eyes. It also seems to be unable to communicate with humans. Volt is found in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Destiny, Tales of Eternia, and Tales of Symphonia, in addition to having a cameo role in Tales of Legendia
★ Shadow - Shadow is a humanoid figure that appears to be made of liquid shadow. His element is Darkness. Shadow is found in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Eternia, and Tales of Symphonia, in addition to having a cameo role in Tales of Legendia.
★ Luna and Aska - Luna is a moon spirit depicted as a woman in a sparkling dress. Her element is Moonlight. Aska is a large two-headed bird in Tales of Symphonia, but is depicted as a shining blue eagle in Tales of Phantasia. His element is Sunlight. Togther they are the spirit of light. They appear in Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Symphonia.
★ Rem - Rem is a spirit of light that appears as a multi-winged angel. Rem appears only in Tales of Eternia, but also has a cameo role in Tales of Legendia. In Tales of Symphonia, Colette's oracle is an angel named Remiel, a possible reference to Rem.
★ Origin - A four-armed warrior who resides at the Heimdall Stone outside of the elven village. He has the power to restore objects to their original form, to view any moment in time, He appears in both Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Symphonia.
★ Maxwell - An old man who floats in a bubble, Maxwell is the king of summon spirits; he attacks with meteor showers. It is probable that he is named after James Clerk Maxwell. He appears in Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Eternia, and Tales of Symphonia, but only as a hidden boss in the latter two.
Storyline
The storylines of most games in the Tales series are not connected to one another. There are a few games with minor connections, but each game can be appreciated by itself without knowledge of the events of other games in the series, with the possible exception of Tales of Destiny 2.
Aselian timeline
The games in this timeline take place in the same world but many years apart from each other, with the exception of Tales of Symphonia and its sequel.
★ Tales of Symphonia, which takes place at least four thousand years prior to Tales of Phantasia.
★ , which starts 2 years after the events of Tales of Symphonia.
★ Tales of Phantasia, which takes place in three different time periods, the "present" time being the year 4304 of the Aselian calendar.
★ , focusing on Mel and Dio 104 years after Tales of Phantasia's "present" time.
★ , a sequel taking place 411 years after Phantasia's future in the year 4765, with Claus' descendant Fulein K. Lester as the protagonist.
Destiny timeline
These games were more closely related than any other games in the series until Tales of Symphonia: Knight of Ratatosk was announced as a sequel only two years in the future from Tales of Symphonia.
★ Tales of Destiny tells the story of Stahn Aileron.
★ Tales of Destiny 2, which takes place eighteen years after its predecessor, tells the story of Stahn's son, Kyle.
External links
★ Official Japanese ''Tales'' Series Website
★ Official English ''Tales'' Series Forum Board
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